[texbirds-freelists] [texbirds] Christmas in Spring...

From: Dane Ferrell <daneferrell@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:22:31 -0500
It has occurred to me lately that a nice day during migration, is just
about as close as I will get to the feelings that I had as a five-year-old
on Xmas morning...

Another fabulous day in South Texas - highlights from 04/10:

Stacy Zarpentine and I started at Polly Wog Ponds in the morning. We were
focusing primarily on Butterflies, Dragonflies, and Damselflies - but
obviously watching for Birds as well.

Polly Wog highlights: Scarlet Tanager( 1 each - male and female), Indigo
Buntings(3), Great-crested Flycatcher, Black-and-White Warbler, Northern
Parula, Yellow-breasted Chat, Common Yellowthroats(3), Blue-headed Vireo,
Least Tern, Least Grebe, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-tailed hawk, Red-
shouldered Hawk. Pretty much 1 of everything unless otherwise noted.

The Sun was in-and-out yesterday morning, and Butterflies were a little
slow. However, we did have a stunningly-fresh Viceroy(FOS), and a very
nice Large Orange Sulphur(FOS). Even with the erratic Sun, Red Admirals
and Phaon Crescents were abundant. Other FOS Butterflies seen over the
past week at Polly Wog: Giant Swallowtail, Question Mark, Tawny and
Hackberry Emperors.

Don't want to push the Insect thing too much - but a few of the sharper
Dragonfly species encountered: Roseate Skimmer, Common Whitetail, Four-
Spotted Pennant, Variegated Meadowhawk.

Hazel Bazemore highlights: Hawkwatching from 1:30pm until 4:15pm(Corpus
Christi time) we counted:

Broad-winged Hawks = 1701 - including an awesome stream of 1350 at about
2:30pm

Turkey Vultures = 16

Swainson's Hawks = 2

At around 5pm, Libby Even, Stacy and I headed West. We first stopped near
the Knolle Farms B+B looking for Northbound Raptors. Pretty slow, but we
did have 16 Broad-winged Hawks and 1 Swainson's Hawk.

On CR 70 near Sandia, we came across a nice group of migrating Swainson's
Hawks totaling 40 Birds. This included 2 rufous morphs and 1 dark morph.

We then hit CR's 229 and 239(which I believe are in Jim Wells County, SW
of Orange Grove). Along 229 we had a very sharp Verdin. Highlights from
239 included: 20 Swainson's Hawks, 6 Crested Caracaras, and 15 Upland
Sandpipers - all working a very recently plowed field near the
intersection of 229 and 239. Also along 239, we had Harris's Hawks(2), a
family of 3 Curve-billed Thrashers, at least 2 Northern Bobwhites calling,
1 Brown-crested Flycatcher, 1 Greater Roadrunner, 2 Bewick's Wrens.

South Texas Rocks...

Dane Ferrell
Corpus Christi, TX

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[texbirds-freelists] [texbirds] Christmas in Spring...

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